This week, the Trump White House issued a statement on the Holocaust without mentioning the 6 million Jews who were murdered at the hands of the Nazis. This was done to minimize or erase the Jews from their own history:
“It is with a heavy heart and somber mind that we remember and honor the victims, survivors, heroes of the Holocaust. It is impossible to fully fathom the depravity and horror inflicted on innocent people by Nazi terror.
“Yet, we know that in the darkest hours of humanity, light shines the brightest. As we remember those who died, we are deeply grateful to those who risked their lives to save the innocent.
“In the name of the perished, I pledge to do everything in my power throughout my Presidency, and my life, to ensure that the forces of evil never again defeat the powers of good. Together, we will make love and tolerance prevalent throughout the world.”
This morning, Virginia senator Tim Kaine equated this to Holocaust denial. He’s correct.
Keep in mind, we have an Oscar nominated director of an Oscar nominated film, who agrees with this. In 2004, two years before his infamous arrest, Mel Gibson told journalist Peggy Noonan: “I mean when the war was over they said it was 12 million. Then it was six. Now it’s four. I mean it’s that kind of numbers game …”
Gibson was raised by a father, still alive age 98, who is a rabid Holocaust denier. Gibson funds a church in Agoura Hills (Malibu), California for a small congregation of people who hold these beliefs.
The most overlooked movie of the year: “Denial,” directed by Mick Jackson, starring Rachel Weisz, Timothy Spall, and Tom Wilkinson. It’s available on all platforms, you can see it at home without leaving your chair. You can also watch “Shoah,” “Schindler’s List,” and James Moll’s extraordinary Oscar winning documentary, “The Last Days.”
